PTS COLLEGE AND ADVANCE STUDIES

URC AVENUE SALITRAN IV DASMARINAS CAVITE

In partial fulfillment of the requirements in

“Pastoral Theology”

“Evangelism and Follow-up Program for New converts”

Dr. Samuel Yeo

Professor

Reydentor D. Panganiban Jr

M.Div Student

October 6, 2015
 I. Introduction

Evangelism and follow-up program in the church is very important. Without this kind of

activity in the church, it is impossible for the church to grow. Can you imagine a church that

does not function with regards to evangelism and follow-up for the new converts, it’s really not

good seeing this kind of situation. The church is supposed to be a living organism in her

community, we exist in the community and as we exist in the community we have a duty to share

the Word of God.

It is not healthy for the church if she does not bearing fruit, if she did not grow with quality

and quantity. It is very clear in Matthew 28:19-20 that we are commanded to “go” and “make

disciples” this is the command of God, He gave a very clear instruction that we must share His

Word to the ends of the world. We need to share the Word of God in order to fulfill what God

has commanded us to do; this is our duty as Christians.

If we know our purpose why we are here on earth we will fulfill what God has commanded

us to do. We should always remember that we are not just called by God to nothing in His

ministry. As the apostle Paul said in 1 Cor. 9: 16, “Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto

me, if I preach not the gospel!”1The man who is called has this inner conviction which will not

permit him to invest his life in any other vocation. Shame on you who do not share the Word of

God as the apostle Paul said. This paper will present evangelism and follow-up program for new

converts. May we share the word of God faithfully, we must not also forget that when we share

the Word of God it does not end to that task we need to follow-up those person whom we

evangelize so that they will also become part of the church.

1
Howard F. Sugden, Confident Pastoral Leadership, (Moody Press:Chicago; 1973.)p.9
 II. Evangelism

Man is born to communicate. He was made to communicate with his fellowman and with

God. The people of God have a responsibility to communicate the gospel of Christ. The life of

the church is to share Christ. The life of the world depends on its hearing the good news. Without

this communication, the world will die.2

Evangelism is not merely verbal proclamation or persuasion.  It is introducing people to the

risen Christ-our living Lord.  If in whatever way we can, we simply get people in contact with

Jesus, they will never be the same.  Evangelism is essentially, in word and deed, bringing people

to Jesus. (Randy Hurst).

Evangelism has a very important role in the church, through this we are promoting the gospel

which we have received in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is our duty as a Christian we must

proclaim the Word of God to the people who are perishing here on earth. Like what the apostle

Paul said in Romans 1:16, he said that he is not ashamed of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ

because it is His power to save the lost people. We should not be ashamed because we are once

lost but now we are found t. through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ; through Him we

experience the grace of God. God wants us to share His word, don’t be selfish for the salvation

which we receive from the Lord Jesus Christ, we must share the love of God.

Every Christian has a very important role in evangelism not only the pastor of the church.

We are part of the body and we need to be involved in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ by

sharing His Word. We are sharing the Word of God so that we will be able to bring them to

2
Jesse Miranda., The Christian Church in Ministry, (International Correspondence Institute: Brussels,
Belgium; 1980.) p. 196
Christ by helping them to know who is Jesus Christ and through this we somehow advance the

Kingdom of God here on earth.

With regards to evangelism there are many materials that we can use and it is available even

in the internet. There are many materials that are useful and it can be effective in our ministry.

Like evangelism explosion, bridge the gospel, and many more. We should be creative in sharing

the Word of God.

a. Nurturing and Preserving New Convert

Child abuse! Child neglect! Just the mention of this type of abuse makes us cringe! But what

about the neglect and abuse of new born babes in Christ? That is, those who have come into the

church through evangelistic meetings or personal Bible Studies. It is tragic to bring new converts

into the church only to see them "die" shortly thereafter because we have neglected them. God

has called these new members to His family, and as a spiritual family we need to welcome,

nurture, and support them.3 This is a very clear statement we must not neglect the new converts,

once we do evangelism we must be ready for new big responsibility and that is to taking care the

new converts in the church.

It is not good if you bring some people in the church and you will not guide them, first and

foremost they don’t know what they are going to do inside the church because they are new;

secondly they are not familiar with the activities because it is new to them. Before you do

evangelism you need to be preparing for your responsibility because you might discourage them

by neglecting them in the church.

If you bring people in the church make sure that you are responsible enough to take care of

them.If you take good care your invited person in the church you will win them and bring them

to Christ and be a part of the church. Nurturing and preserving the new converts are very

important, if we do this we will see the outcome and I believe that there will be a good outcome

if we do our part as a Christians. We need to guide them and train them just like what others do

when we are new in the church. We are not only bringing person in the church for the sake of our

3
Richard L. Halversen, Nurturing and Preserving New Converts, (Grand Rapids Michigan: Chicago; 2000.) p.
14
attendance but we bring them because they also need personal relationship with our Lord Jesus

Christ and this is our ultimate goal to transform them through the grace of God.

b. Visitation

There is no doubt that visitation, when properly carried out, is closely related to a minister’s

preaching. It acts and reacts on what he says. Intercourse with his people will enrich his

preaching, making it real, practical, and alive. The relation of preaching and visiting is of course

a difficult one in regard to the time and strength required. While what has been said about the

value of visiting in enriching the pastor is perfectly true, there is another side which must not be

forgotten. If a man spends his time in visiting to such an extent that his time in his study suffers,

he will experience an intellectual and a spiritual deadness when he comes to prepare his sermon

which will inevitably affect the reality of his preaching.4

If we expect our people to engage in visitation, we must set the example ourselves.

Furthermore, if our preaching is to touch the real needs that people have, we must like Ezekiel,

“sit where they sit.” So, begin by realizing the importance of pastoral visitation.5 Pastoral

visitation is very important for the church especially for the new converts of the church they need

pastoral care. If we want our church to grow we need to invest not only money but your total

being, the people need your time, your care and your concern. I believed through visiting the

new converts somehow they are encourage with our lives, topping their shoulders and giving

them an encouragement is a big impact for their lives. They will be encouraged with you if you

show your concern to them. We need to spend time visiting the newly converts or else we may

lose them.

4
W.H. Griffith Thomas, D.D., Ministerial life and Work., (Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, Michigan;
1974.) p. 204-205
5
Sugden., 90
 You cannot win souls or shepherd the flock simply by sitting behind a desk or standing

behind a pulpit.6 If you want you’re newly converts become active in the church take time to

visit them in their house. Some pastor are not active in visitation, this kind of pastor doesn’t

know the purpose of their calling, they just preach only on Sunday and occasionally they forgot

their duty shepherding the flocks. It is very important for a pastor to have time in visitation, but

the problem is they are busy doing so many things in their lives; they are only pastor during

Sunday in other words part time pastor. There’s no such thing as part time pastor, you are called

to take good care of the flocks. When you visits your member never give the impression you are

in a hurry, even though you may be; keep in mind that you are laying as foundation for future

visits.7 You only visits your member once in while why not give a quality time to them. If you

show to them that you are in a hurry you show to them that they are not important and maybe

their impression is you just visit them because you have no choice because that was your job if

that is their impression they will be discourage.

b.1Biblical view of Visitation

The visitation in view in both the Old Testament and New Testament at its core is oversight

that shows concern for. The concern which is at the core of biblical visitation is equivalent to a

kind of remembering or thinking about another, (Ps. 8:4; 106:4, where the two words “visit” and

“remembering” are used in Hebrew parallelism) that leads to action. To visit is to show concern

for in blessing or in judgment. It is to show concern that grows out of one’s oversight and

inspection.

6
Sugden 91
7
Sugden., 92
 The idea of God oversight, interest in and active concern about the nations, His people, and

individuals is paramount in the biblical use of the term. Thus visitation means the exercise of

pastoral care and discipline. Thus active concern in meeting of needs, counselling with members,

will be seen to be of prime interest in visitation. To visit is to carry on all of the shepherdly

concerns bound up in the comprehensive care mentioned earlier.8

b.2. What do Mark 4:3-9 and 14-20 tell us about follow-up?

Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along

the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much

soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants

were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which

grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil.

It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times. Then

Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear. – Mark 4:3-9

The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is

sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since

they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the

word, they quickly fall away. Still others come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop – thirty, sixty or

even a hundred times what was sown. – Mark 4:14-20

What do Mark 4:3-9 and 14-20 tell us about follow-up?

2. Some receive the Word superficially, but when problems come, they fall away and lose

interest (vv.16, 17).

3. Some hear and respond to the message, but later they allow it to be crowded out by things

of the world (vv. 18, 19).

4. Some hear, accept God’s Word and bear fruit (v. 20).

Note that the seed, God’s word, was the same in each case. In follow-up, as in witnessing, we

are not responsible for the way people respond. We must not be discouraged if some people do

not respond as we would like. However, we do have certain responsibilities before God for new

believers.9 Our part is to sow the seed which is the word of God and after sowing we need to

follow up those people who have heard the message of the Lord, we should not be discourage if

someone is rejecting the word of God it is not our part to make them born again, it is God’s work

to transform their lives. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to apply the work of God in the lives of

people who have heard the word of God.

The primary aim of our entire visitation must be spiritual and not merely social. Of course

the social element must enter into it, but it certainly must not predominate. Our work is mainly

and primarily that of teaching spiritual truths and ministering spiritual realities, and anything that

tends to rob our life of spiritual force is to be guarded against and avoided.10

9
Taken from: http://www.reallifeboston.com/wordpress/resources/discipleship-profile/
establishing-a-new-believer/understanding-follow-up/, August 3, 2015.

10
Thomas,. 206
 IV. Conclusion

Christ goal was to conquer the world and bring every nation under His feet. But he sends

men not with the glittering sword or the thundering cannon, but with the power of speech. We

are sent as heralds of the gospel. A herald is one who proclaims a message. He may speak to one

person or to a group of persons, in public or in private, but always he brings a message from his

master and lord. One outstanding characteristic of the herald is his authority. He does not speak

in his own name, but in the name of the One who has sent him. His authority is not only in his

words, but in his ability to act in behalf of the One who sent him.11

Proclaiming the Word of God is a noblest of all things, it is our great privilege to tell the

world about the message of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we proclaim the message of Christ to the

people around us it demands a big responsibility. We are not only telling the message of the Lord

Jesus Christ but we are applying the Word in our lives by showing the people that we are

concern to them.As a pastor or workers of the church it is our duty to take care the flocks of God,

we are the chosen instrument of God to take care of His people.

It is really important to know as a minister that we need to have evangelism and follow-up

programs for the new converts. The growth of our church lies with this program. If we didn’t do

this in our church, the church will automatically failed with their mission as God chosen

instrument.

11
Miranda., 200-201